Marine telescoping grab bar

ABSTRACT

The marine grab bar of the present invention is intended for use on a boat wherein a passenger needs a gripping post when standing. The grab bar assembly includes a base mounted to a wall or upright surface in the boat, and a telescoping bar moveable between a lower retracted storage position and a raised extended gripping position. A lock is provided in the assembly for retaining the bar in the raised position relative to the base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common for a passenger in a boat to stand while the boat ismoving, particularly when the operator or driver is also standing. Thesmoothness of the ride depends upon the water conditions and the skillof the driver. While the driver has the boat's steering wheel to gripwhile standing, which helps the driver's balance, many boats do not haveany handle or other object for gripping by the standing passenger, forinstance, when the boat hits a wave, or there is a sudden change inmovement in the boat, such as a change of direction, acceleration, ordeceleration.

Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provisionof a boat grab bar for use by a standing passenger in a moving boat.

Another objective of the present invention is the provision of atelescoping boat grab bar which can be moved between raised and loweredpositions.

A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a boatgrab bar which can be locked in an extended use position for grasping bya person and which can be retracted to a non-use position.

Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of aboat grab bar which slidably mounts within a base secured to an uprightwall or surface of the boat.

Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of aboat grab bar which is economical to manufacture, easy to install, anddurable in use.

These and other objectives will become apparent from the followingdescription of the invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The boat grab bar of the present invention includes a tubular base whichis mounted to a substantially vertical surface of the boat, such as sidewall of the steering console, such that the base is oriented in anupright position. The base includes mounting flanges adapted to receivemounting hardware to secure the base to the boat surface. The bar istelescopically mounted within the base for movement between a lowerretracted storage position and a raised, extended gripping position. Aspring biased detent is provided for locking the bar in the raisedposition relative to the base. The upper end of the bar is covered by acap, which limits the downward movement of the bar relative to the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat having the grab bar of thepresent invention, and showing the grab bar in the retracted lowerposition.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the grab bar in an extendedraised position.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the components of the grab bar assembly ofthe present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A boat is generally designated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the reference numeral10. The boat 10 includes a driving console 12 with a steering wheel 14for the boat operator. While a flat style boat is shown in the drawings,it is understood the present invention can be used with many differenttypes of boats.

The present invention is directed towards a grab bar assembly 16. Theassembly 16 includes a base 18 which is mounted to a substantiallyvertical surface of the boat, such as the side wall 20 of the console12. The base 18 includes mounting flanges or arms 22 at opposite ends ofthe base, which are adapted to receive mounting hardware for securingthe assembly 16 to the wall or vertical surface 20. Screws (not shown)or other mounting hardware may be extended through holes 24 in theflanges 22 so as to mount the base 18 to the wall 20.

The assembly 16 further includes a bar 26 which is slidably mountedwithin the base 18 so as to be telescopically moveable between aretracted lower position, shown in FIG. 1, and an extended raisedposition, shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, when the bar 26 is in theretracted position, the upper end of the bar is at an elevation belowthe top surface 28 of the console 12, which defines an upper edge of thewall 20. The bar 26 resides above the top surface 28 of the console 12when moved to the raised position, so as to be easily grasped by aperson standing next to the console 12. The upper end of the bar 26includes a cap 30, which limits the downward movement of the bar 26relative to the base 18. The cap 30 also provides a gripping area orsurface for raising the bar 26 to the extended position. As analternative to the cap 30, the upper end of the bar 26 may be providedwith an enlarged area or other projection which will preclude the upperend of the bar 26 from being pushed downwardly beyond the upper end ofthe base 18.

A lock member 32 is provided in the grab bar assembly 16 so as to lockthe bar 26 in the raised position relative to the base 18. As best seenin FIG. 3, the lock member 32 preferably is in the form a spring biaseddetent or slide pin which fits within the hollow bar 26. The lock member32 includes a flexible U-shaped spring 34 having opposite ends with abutton or tab 36 on each end. The bar 26 includes a hole 38 extendingtherethrough, with the buttons 36 protrude outwardly through the hole 38beyond the outer surface of the bar 26. The base 18 includes a hole 40extending therethrough. When the hole 38 of the bar 26 is aligned withthe hole 40 in the base 18, the buttons 36 automatically springoutwardly into retentive engagement with the hole 40 so as to lock thebar 26 in the raised position. The base 18 may be provided with one ormore additional holes 42 for releasable retentive engagement by thebuttons 36 when the bar hole 38 is aligned therewith, so as to lock thebar in an intermediate position between the raised and loweredpositions. A person can easily depress the buttons 36 so as to allow thebar 26 to be moved from a locked position when desired.

In use, the bar 26 can be stored in the lowered, retracted position, andraised to the extended position when needed for gripping by a boatpassenger. A person can simply pull up on the upper end of the bar 26until the lock or detent 32 engages the desired hole 40, 42 in the baseso as to retain the bar 26 in a selected position. Similarly, a personcan manually depress the spring buttons 36 on the lock member 32 andthen push downwardly on the bar cap 30 to move the bar from a lockedposition to the retracted position.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present inventionaccomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

1. A boat grab bar assembly, comprising: an upright tubular base havinga longitudinal axis; upper and lower mounting flanges on the base, eachflange having a planar mounting surface substantially parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the base so that the base is mountable on asubstantially vertical boat surface; a bar telescopically mounted withinthe base for movement between a lower storage position and a raisedgripping position; and a lock to maintain the bar in the raisedposition.
 2. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the lock is aspring biased detent.
 3. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 whereinthe bar is hollow and the lock is located substantially within the bar.4. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 3 wherein the lock is a slidepin.
 5. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the base and thebar have holes extending therethrough which receive the lock when theholes are aligned to lock the bar in the raised position.
 6. The boatgrab bar assembly of claim 5 wherein the base includes a second hole forselective receipt of the lock to lock the bar in an intermediateposition between the raised and lowered positions.
 7. The boat grab barassembly of claim 1 further comprising mounting hardware to secure themounting flanges to the boat surface.
 8. The boat grab bar assembly ofclaim 7 wherein the mounting flanges are at opposite ends of the base.9. The boat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bar has an upperend, and further comprising a cap on the upper end of the bar.
 10. Theboat grab bar assembly of claim 1 wherein the bar has an enlarged upperend to limit downward movement within the base.
 11. In combination, aboat and a telescoping grab bar, comprising: an upstanding wall on theboat, the wall having an upper edge; a vertically oriented base formounting on the wall of the boat, below the upper edge; mounting flangesat the upper and lower ends of the base defining a substantiallyvertical mounting plane, and being secured to the boat wall below theupper edge; a bar slidably mounted to the base for movement between anextended position above the upper edge for gripping by a person and aretracted position below the upper edge; and a lock to selectivelyretain the bar in the extended position.
 12. The combination of claim 11wherein the bar slides within the base.
 13. The combination of claim 12wherein the bar has an enlarged upper end to limit downward movementwithin the base.
 14. The combination of claim 13 wherein the enlargedend is a cap on the bar.
 15. The combination of claim 11 wherein the baris hollow and the lock is located substantially within the bar.
 16. Thecombination of claim 15 wherein the lock is a spring biased detent. 17.The combination of claim 11 wherein the lock extends through alignedholes in the base and the bar.
 18. The combination of claim 11 furthercomprising hardware to secure the base-mounting flanges to the boatsurface.
 19. The combination of claim 18 wherein the mounting flangesinclude upper and lower arms at opposite ends of the base.
 20. A methodof providing a grab bar for gripping by a person standing in a boat, theboat having a substantially vertical wall with an upper edge,comprising: mounting a base to the wall of the boat so as to extendupwardly; telescopically mounting a bar to the base; moving the bar froma retracted position within the base below the upper edge of the wall toan extended position the upper edge of the wall; and releasably lockingthe bar in the extended position.